Battlefield

The battlefield (or game board) is where the action takes place, representing the board on which each game is played out. Around the battlefield are various important UI elements, such as each player's hand, deck and Mana Crystals, as well as the two heroes themselves. Each battlefield features its own design and numerous interactive elements, but play is in no way affected or determined by battlefield selection. Battlefields are chosen at random and are independent of the heroes chosen by players or used by the Innkeeper.

There are currently twenty battlefields: Stormwind, Orgrimmar, Pandaria, Stranglethorn, Naxxramas, Goblins vs Gnomes, Blackrock Mountain, the Grand Tournament, Excavation Site, the Museum, Whispers of the Old Gods, Karazhan, Gadgetzan, Un'Goro, Icecrown Citadel, Kobold catacombs, The Witchwood, Dr Boom's lab, Gurabashi Arena and Dalaran. There are also four special battlefields, used only during seasonal events. New battlefields are added regularly, alongside the release of new content.

With the exception of the original four battlefields, each is associated with a particular expansion or adventure, and depicts elements from that setting. Battlefields associated with adventures also feature unique music, used exclusively when playing on those battlefields, and not heard when playing on others. All other battlefields share a common pool of music tracks.

With the card set rotation, each battlefield associated with a rotated expansion also rotates out of use for standard format matches. The original four battlefields do not rotate. Tavern brawls that allow the use of the wild set can take place on any battlefield, standard or wild.

The term board is also used to refer to each player's current array of minions. Players may "clear the board" by removing all enemy minions, or fight for control of the board by attempting to achieve minion dominance.

Your hero is displayed near the bottom of the battlefield, while your opponent's is displayed near the top. To the right of your hero is displayed your Hero Power, and in the lower-right corner you can find your Mana Crystals. Your hand is displayed on the bottom of the field and your opponent's hand is displayed on the top side. The last few actions taken in the game are displayed on the left of the battlefield in the history, while each player's deck can be found to the right of the battlefield. Any minions in play are found in the centre of the battlefield.

While the player is shown at the bottom of the battlefield and their opponent at the top, each player in fact separately views the battlefield from the same position, and is always shown on their own screen playing from the bottom. The battlefield itself is in effect an illusion, allowing each player to experience a standard view of the board each time they play. At no point does a player find themselves playing from the top of the screen, or find the battlefield oriented such that they are playing from the opposite side to that shown to their opponent. The placement of minions is also preserved between players' screens; placing a minion on the left of the player's screen will also place it on the left of the opponent's screen, despite the apparent rotation of perspective. Both players do however view the same battlefield within any given match.[1]

The Stormwind battlefield, viewed at "an angle you shouldn't see it at!"[2]

Hearthstone originally featured only four battlefields - Stormwind, Orgrimmar, Pandaria and Stranglethorn Vale. A fifth battlefield, Naxxramas, was added as part of the Curse of Naxxramasadventure in July 2014, originally only available while playing the adventure, but brought into the main rotation in October of that year. A sixth was released as part of Goblins vs Gnomes in December 2014, and this pattern continued with Blackrock Mountain and The Grand Tournament. Various battlefields were tried during the game's development, including Blackrock Mountain and Dalaran. Earlier versions also show the current player as the "red" hero and the opponent the "blue" hero, while the reverse of this was eventually implemented.

The game's battlefields are created by using projected textures on 3D models.[3] Paintings created by Ben Thompson and Jomaro Kindred are given to John Zwicker, who then maps them onto 3D models created using the Maya image editing software.[4][5] The Grand Tournament battlefield was painted by Jomaro Kindred.[6] The models themselves are slanted and 'deformed', in order to accept lighting and cast shadows, as well as to create the angled viewpoint from which the gameboard is seen.[7][8] However, the top of the board is far more deformed than the bottom.[9]

During the game's alpha, Hearthstone had a "graveyard", a location where played cards and destroyed minions would be placed when they were removed from the game. This feature was later removed, but the skull icons next to each player's deck still indicate its previous location on the battlefield.[10] Earlier versions of the graveyard can also be seen in some images of the game's alpha battlefield designs.

The corners of each battlefield feature special interactive features, bringing the battlefield to life and providing entertainment and distraction for the player during the opponent's turn. Interacting with these features using the mouse may produce a range of visual and audio effects, as well as resulting in temporary or permanent changes to the battlefield. Examples of these include catapults which can be loaded and fired at the opponent, dragon eggs which can be broken to release whelps, and gardens which can be watered and harvested.

These features are purely cosmetic, and do not affect gameplay in any way. Also, as each player views their own version of the battlefield, any interactions with the board made by the player will not affect their opponent's board, and will not be visible to them.

Some features involve complex interactions with other features, while others provide simple visual/audio effects. Most features can be interacted with endlessly, but some have a finite number of uses, after that becoming 'broken' and non-interactive, or else irreversibly changing function. All battleground features are reset at the start of each match, with no permanent changes.

Battlefields released with adventures are used for all matches within the adventure, and initially only available when playing that adventure. They are usually added into the main rotation some time after the full release of the adventure.

While all screen layouts are adjusted for non-desktop platforms such as phones, the battlefields are substantially changed, with the top left and bottom right corners removed entirely to make room for the players' hands. As a result, phone versions only feature half the bonus features found on the original battlefields.

The Stormwind map is currently the most frequently used location, with two different versions in play at any given time, and three different versions in total.

The names of the battlefields given above are not displayed anywhere in game, but are listed in one of the game's XML files.

Stormwind is the capital city of the Alliance, and home of the humans. Just to the north of the lush green lands of Elwynn Forest in the Eastern Kingdoms, the city has a long and troubled history. One of the last great human cities left on Azeroth, Stormwind was destroyed by the orcish invasion during the First War, but was painstakingly rebuilt following the Second War. A sprawling city criss-crossed with canals, Stormwind is split into several smaller districts, including the Cathedral of Light and the base of operations for SI:7. The capital is home to the humans of Azeroth, and the seat of Varian Wrynn, King of the Alliance, and his son, Anduin Wrynn, as well as Genn Greymane of the worgen.

The gryphon can be poked, eliciting a roar of outrage and a scornful look. Mousing near the gryphon's face will also cause it to follow the cursor with its head. Very rarely, the gryphon will nip at the cursor if it is left too close to its beak.

The barrel and box near the gryphon can be smashed, and the hay tossed. The flag in front of the gryphon can be blown about.

The sign on the building in the top right corner can be knocked, making it swing. Excessive interaction will break one of its chains, leaving it hanging at an angle. The door to the building can be opened and closed. One of the slates on the building's roof can be knocked at, and eventually smashed.

Players can tap on each of the three windows of the cathedral. Excessive tapping will result in breaking the individual windows, and further tapping will continue to shower the area in broken glass. The cathedral bell can also be rung by tapping on the roof.

The streetlight next to the cathedral can be switched on and off. Switching it off will cause the moths surrounding it to leave; switch it back on and they will slowly return.

The barracks clock can be interacted with, and shows the current time on your computer clock. The roof of the barracks can be pressed upon and eventually broken.

The bucket in the well can be knocked about, and too much clicking will break its rope, sending it crashing to the bottom of the well. One of the stones in the well can also be bashed, and eventually broken.

The plant in the top-right corner of the battlefield was originally interactable. During the beta, the leaves were stationary by default, and players were able to click, knocking them about. However, the interaction suffered from a long-standing bug which caused partial non-interactivity. Perhaps because of this, with the release of Hearthstone the plant was changed to wave continuously in the wind, but was no longer interactable.

Orgrimmar is one of the original four battlefields, available since the game's alpha. Set in the orcish capital city, the battlefield features a catapult, portcullis, zeppelin and blacksmith, and is emblazoned with the bright red logo of the Horde. The dust of the red land of Durotar continuously blows across the battlefield.

Orgrimmar is the capital city of the Horde, and home of the orcs. Situated in the red land of Durotar on the eastern edge of Kalimdor, the city was founded by Thrall following the Third War. For most of its history it served as the capital of the Horde, although its future status is unclear now that Lady Sylvanas Windrunner of Undercity is Warchief. Set between the towering mountain ranges of Durotar, Orgrimmar is a heavily-armed fortress bristling with towers and guards, even more so after its expansion by the goblins following their induction into the Horde. Painted in the bloody colors of the Horde and built in the traditional style of the orcs, the city bristles with spikes on every corner as a fearsome warning to any would-be invaders. City of the orcs, the capital is also home to the Darkspear trolls and the goblins, who have their own quarters within the city. Orgrimmar is named after the legendary orcish warrior Orgrim Doomhammer.

You can load the catapult with the adjacent rocks and fling them towards your opponent. This has the potential to result in one of a variety of noises, including collision with clattering objects and the yelp of an unfortunate gnoll, gnome, or orc. You can reload the catapult by clicking on it several times to pull the catapult-arm down then loading a rock into the basket.

The portcullis in the top right corner can be opened and closed. The vine next to the portcullis can be hacked at, and if attacked repeatedly will briefly recoil.

The zeppelin in the top left corner can be knocked and buffeted and after repeatedly clicking, will move in a different direction. The rock to which it is tethered can also be rocked and shifted.

The flag in the bottom left corner can be buffeted.

The chimney of the blacksmith in the bottom left corner can be clicked to put out or re-ignite the fire inside. When the fire is active, black smoke will billow continuously from the chimney. Repeatedly clicking on the chimney will also produce sounds of hammers hitting metal, bellows bellowing and hissing sound of metal being tempered.

Pandaria is one of the original four battlefields, available since the game's alpha. The battlefield features a farm, water wheel (attached to a brewery), and the distinctive colors of the pandaren, as well as the continent's signature rolling mists.

Shrouded in mists for more than ten thousand years, the continent of Pandaria only recently emerged from obscurity at the south of Azeroth. Home to the wise pandaren, Pandaria is a beautiful and fertile land, rich with the bright colors of pandaren culture, and the towering architecture of its former rulers, the mogu. A peaceful and contemplative people, following their uprising against the mogu, the pandaren have chosen to focus on the important things in life: family, friends and food. Pandaria is also home to several other races, including the jinyu, hozen, mantid and grummles.

The crops in the bottom right corner can be smashed. Clicking on the water funnel will cause new water to pour and new crops to grow. Several varieties of crops are possible, as well as the occasional boot. While rare, a boot has a chance to appear in any crop slot, and it is possible to have boots in all three slots at the same time. Even more rarely, a golden version of one of the vegetables may appear. It is possible to have three golden vegetables at once, although this is extremely rare.[13]

The waterwheel in the top right corner can be spun, and the door of the building opened and closed.

The kite in the top left corner can be knocked around. The peg securing the kite can also be knocked at. Multiple clicks on the peg will remove it entirely, causing the kite to float away. The smaller lantern can also be buffeted.

The light in the building in the top left corner can be switched off and on, with an accompanying chime.

The gong in the bottom left corner can be rung. The individual flowers in the bush next to the gong can be shaken and destroyed, and will grow back if destroyed.

The golden vegetable that sometimes appears on the Pandaria battlefield has around a 1/1,000 or even 1/10,000 chance of spawning each time a new vegetable is grown.[14]

The vegetables start to grow in a delayed clockwise sequence, starting with the left-most, then the top-most, then the bottom-most. As a result, the quickest pattern for growing and squishing vegetables (such as when attempting to yield a boot or golden vegetable) is to move in a clockwise order, including clicking on the water spout; the player will have time to squish the bottom vegetable before the water reaches it, ensuring a smooth, continuous cycle.

Stranglethorn is one of the original four battlefields, available since the game's alpha. Set in the dense jungles of Stranglethorn, the battlefield features a waterfall, a hunter's camp, and various overgrown troll architecture.

The ruby in the eye of the statue in the top left corner can be picked at, eventually causing it to tumble to the ground and break.

Periodically, the glowing eyes of an unknown beast will appear beneath the old log in the top left corner, before disappearing again. Clicking on the eyes of the beast will result in them rapidly blinking out, accompanied by a rustle and a threatening roar.

The vine across the gate in the top right corner can be hacked at and broken. The skull motif in the gate can be temporarily brought to life, with glowing red eyes and the sound of distant drums. The coconuts next to the gate can be knocked at and knocked down, occasionally startling an unseen monkey.

The pile of logs in the bottom right corner can be sparked repeatedly to start a fire.

The skin on the roof of the hut in the bottom right corner can be beaten, causing it to jump and dust to rise. Clicking it repeatedly will cause it to randomly change to one of several other possible animal skins.

Clicking near the entrance of the hut in the bottom right corner will elicit sounds of snoring, and occasionally of someone talking in their sleep.

The waterfall in the bottom left corner can be splashed in, and doing so rapidly and repeatedly will cause the rainbow to shine brighter, accompanied by sound effects.

The Naxxramas battlefield was released with the game's first adventure, Curse of Naxxramas, in July 2014. The battlefield was originally only available while playing the adventure, but in October 2014 was added to the main battlefield rotation.

The battlefield is used for all games within the Curse of Naxxramas adventure. It also features its own unique music, originally limited to the adventure itself, in place of the usual selection of tracks.

Set in the horrifying necropolis of Naxxramas, the battlefield includes bulging spider egg sacs, putrescent fungi, slime-spewing contraptions and eerily crackling crystals.

High above the bitter cold of Dragonblight in the continent of Northrend, the ancient Nerubian necropolis known as Naxxramas looms in the skies, casting a dark shadow on the barren tundra that lies beneath it. Safe from most terrors that may threaten it, Naxxramas is an effective holding ground for a host of undead horrors, ready to strengthen the influence and reach of the undead Scourge at a moment’s notice.

The egg sacs in the bottom left corner can be squished and poked, and will produce crawling spiderlings after repeated clicking.

Clicking on the red spider eyes in the bottom left structure will make them disappear. Sometimes clicking will cause bats to fly from opening or the spider to lunge onto the board.

Clicking the obelisk will knock it back, generating resonating notes of various pitches; repeated clicking will cause the obelisk to noisily crack. Clicking and holding causes the obelisk to vibrate, glow and emit electricity, healing the damage.

The top door of the boiler and the door on the pipe can be opened and closed. Spinning the wheel repeatedly will produce a puff of green steam out of the top door if it is open, or from the pipe door if that is open instead. If both doors are closed, repeated wheel spinning will cause pressure to build, producing ominous rattling sounds, and culminating in a spurt of green goo from the pipe, draining into the grate.

Clicking a loose screw on the boiler causes it to pop out and fly off to the left.

The mushrooms in the top left structure will squish and bounce when clicked; clicking repeatedly will cause them to shake, dispersing spores.

Pulling on the left tusk on the skull causes green goo to flow from the mouth.

The green pools in the top left and right structures create splashes when clicked.

If the skull's eye is clicked as it twinkles, a ruby will drop out of the eye hole and fall into the goo.

Clicking the top of the skull will make hollow tapping sounds of various pitches.

The Goblins vs Gnomes battlefield was released with the Goblins vs Gnomesexpansion's arena launch event on December 4th 2014. The battlefield contains features and designs representing both goblins and gnomes, with the top-left and bottom-right corners depicting gnomish inventions, and the bottom-left and top-right corners featuring goblin technology.

The door of the furnace in the bottom left corner can be held open momentarily, allowing sparks to fly out. Every so often, a spark will land on one of the nearby fuses and ignite. Lighting the fuse on the left will result in the rockets flying off, while lighting the fuse on the right will cause the large rocket to launch, followed by the explosion of the two bombs.

When clicked on, the two parabolic antennae on the top of the command centre in the top left corner will make noises (each different), move, and the graphical display of arrays will appear.

The red button in the top right corner can be pressed which will activate the goblin teleporter. After a few seconds of flashing lights and other activity, a random object will appear, most of which are existing assets from other battlefields. Activating the teleporter again will teleport out its current contents and replace it with another random selection.

Possible objects include: the boot from the Pandaria board; a vegetable from the Pandaria board; a bomb similar to a Boom Bot's Deathrattle with an ignited fuse, which will explode if not removed; the kite from the Pandaria board; a giant banana; the ruby from the eye of the statue in the Stranglethorn board; what appears to be a Homing Chicken; and a floundering, although smiling, fish (similar to those summoned in Neptulon's summoning animation). Each activation also has a chance to produce an empty teleporter, with no object.

Each of the three levers of the goblin teleporter can be pulled. Green light indicates an upper position, red light is for the lower.

The screw near the teleporter can be screwed into the nearby screw hole.

The laser gun in the bottom right corner can be rotated using two control buttons to its left. Pulling the gun's lever will make it shoot. If the laser is shot at the command centre in the top left corner, it will activate, the red lights will sparkle, the noise of the siren alarm will be heard, and the rocket will launch. If the laser shoots past the opponent's half of the board, it can be heard to strike a gnome or other hapless individual, who may yelp, grunt or squeal in response.

Pressing D on the keyboard causes the teleporter door to open/close. This is likely a bug, since it interferes with the normal animation, and allows players to see the new occupant of the chamber before it is supposed to have appeared.

When the Goblins vs Gnomes battlefield was first released, the screw in the top right of the board was non-interactive. The team had planned to make it interactive, but time constraints prevented them from completing the design.[16] The design was finally completed nearly a year later, allowing it to be screwed into the nearby screw hole. Other battlefields however still feature similarly unfinished features.

A slightly earlier version of the Goblins vs Gnomes battlefield (see Gallery) was seen in previews at BlizzCon 2014, featuring a number of small differences: the flooring in the corners is cracked red stone instead of roughly assembled metal plates; the nose and tail of the laser gun in the bottom right corner are golden instead of chrome, and the gun is further forward; the oil spill in the top left corner is missing, along with the blast marks in the bottom left; there is a cable connecting the laser gun to the control panel instead of the two wires; there is an extra bomb in the bottom left, in front of the rocket, and both the big rocket and the small blue rocket are missing their fuses; the screw is missing from the right hand side; the levers at the top right are chrome with black handles instead of golden; and the column and cable to the left of the levers are replaced by a plant or possibly coral.

The Blackrock Mountain battlefield was released with the Blackrock Mountain adventure on April 2/3 2015, and is used for all matches as part of the adventure. The battlefield was originally limited to the adventure, but was added to the main rotation in June 2015. It features its own music, originally limited to the adventure itself.

The bottom-right corner features dragon whelp eggs as found in Blackrock Spire's Rookery, made famous by the exploits of Leeroy Jenkins. The top-left features Sulfuras, Hand of Ragnaros, the mighty weapon of Ragnaros himself from the Molten Core, while the bottom-left corner features The Black Anvil, located in Blackrock Depths and used to craft Dark Iron armaments, both by the Dark Iron dwarves and by adventurers brave enough to fight their way to it. The top-right corner features lava and chains most prominently seen in the central area of Blackrock Mountain itself, from which adventurers can navigate their way to one of the zone's instances.

The runes in the top-left corner can be interacted with and illuminated.[17] The top three can be clicked on and off, while pressing the fourth while any other is illuminated while cause changes to the area. Pressing it without other runes while cause the effect to 'fizzle'.

By successfully activating the fourth rune, the giant hammer Sulfuras in the top-left corner can be submerged.[18][17] The player can bring back the hammer if they choose, by the same means.[17]

Once Sulfuras has been sunk, various objects will appear at random in the lava in the top-left corner.[17] Possibilities include several varieties of "rubber bath pony" and a gnomish periscope.[17][19] The player can tap the periscope to knock it back, causing it to blink rapidly and gaze at the player before descending back beneath the surface.[19]

The chain in the top-right corner can be pulled at to "uncork" the lava pool, allowing all the lava to flow out.[17] Players can then re-"cork" the pool, and interact with the other chain to cause the mouth to refill the pool with lava.[17]

Players can "heat up" the Black Anvil in the bottom-left corner, causing it to glow.[18] When it gets hot enough, it will spontaneously "forge" or transform one of the nearby armaments, with each having multiple possible forms (both the armament and the form are selected at random).[17][20] Players can also splash water from the bucket onto the Anvil, cooling it with a sizzle.[17]

The eggs in the bottom-right corner can be broken, with a chance to produce a whelp, which will immediately fly off.[18][17] Players can also extinguish and rekindle the brazier, and each of the large bones will produce a different musical note when knocked on.[17]

"Knights of all shapes and sizes from far and wide come together at the Grand Tournament to complete for fame and glory! Years ago, the Argent Crusade started the tournament as a way to find champions fit to take on Azeroth’s greatest villains. Now that the Frozen North is less perilous (and a tad bit warmer), the Grand Tournament has a playful side to it. Ogres, Pirates, Dragons, and even Murlocs have sent their finest Knights, ready to strut their stuff and show what they’re made of—all in the name of fun![21]

There’s the jousting arena, of course, where the clash of armor and the roar of the crowd can be heard. That’s where you’ll find the stars of the show, the noble knights, basking in the adoration of the crowd. But there’s so much more to delight the senses: you’ll feast your eyes on elaborately decorated tents and pavilions in a rainbow of dazzling colors, you’ll thrill to performers and games, and your mouth will water at the delicious aroma of fresh baked festival pies that fills the air everywhere you go!"[22]

The spectators in the top-left corner can be repeatedly knocked down, but will slowly rise back up again. They also respond to certain game events, such as covering their faces in shock in response to effects which make the board shake, and cheering when certain minions are played.

The shield on the front of the spectator stand can be knocked at, producing a metallic sound.

The trees around the battlefield can be rustled. Some, such as the tree in the top-right corner, contain an improbably large number of white birds, which will flee if disturbed.

The flowers on the ground can be picked, but will grow back.

The banner in the top-right corner can be buffeted, causing its color to change between red, green and blue.

The weather vane on the top of the tent in the top-right corner can be knocked at and swung round.

The entrance flap on the tent can be pulled at. Holding it up for a couple seconds will reveal a pair of yellow eyes.

The dummy in the bottom right corner can be struck and knocked back. It will move differently depending on where you strike it. Board-shaking effects will also impact it. It will also spin round clockwise or counter-clockwise if struck consistently on the shield arm or sword arm. Occasionally the target dummy will spin off, sometimes returning, other times not.

Clicking on the front of the target in the bottom right corner will fire an arrow at it. Clicking around the edge of the target will cause arrows to be fired at roughly the cursor's position, while clicking in the centre of the target will result in arrows being fired fairly haphazardly, only occasionally striking the target's centre. Clicking the target's centre dozens of times in a single match will gradually make the arrows more accurate. Arrows which do hit the bullseye cause a brief flash of golden light, and occasionally if another arrow hits the bullseye it will split an arrow already in the bullseye. Once all arrows are spent, clicking anywhere on the target will remove them all from the target, allowing them to be fired again. Occasionally arrows will enter the target backwards, or strike the dummy instead.

The spit in the bottom-left corner can be rotated, and the fire beneath it extinguished and re-lit. As you spin the spit, the meat will become darker, and eventually burn.

The food and drink on offer in the bottom-left corner can be clicked to rapidly consume it, accompanied by eating noises and the odd burp. If the golden triangle behind the spit is struck once the food is finished, new food will be served.

Striking the triangle will cause the food and drink to be replenished. Various foods are possible, always accompanied by a standard tankard of ale.

The pans hanging next to the triangle can be hit for different sounds.

The top part of the refreshment tent can be lifted, allowing smoke to billow out more freely.

"Archaeology isn’t archaeology without an excavation! Unearth the ancient hewn-stone halls of Uldaman! Explore the ruins of the ancient city, and unravel timeless mysteries! Find out what that light beam thing does—what could go wrong?"[23]

The sand in the top left corner can be clicked, producing small puffs of dust. The cylindrical column can be clicked, throwing up a dark cloud of dust. After several clicks, chunks crumble and fall.

Clicking the top of the square column causes the column to rise, revealing a secret compartment which may be empty or may contain a random object: a red ruby, a banana or a gold coin are some possibilities. Clicking the top again causes the column to retract. Each time the column is opened the secret compartment's contents potentially change.

Clicking the large, red crystal on the top right corner makes ringing sounds. The pickaxe can be rattled and the ropes can be pulled. Clicking the lantern causes it to swing and go out. Clicking rapidly on it again relights it. The nail in the wooden board can be driven in.

Repeated clicking on the purple gem on the pedestal activates the spike plate. Likewise, pulling the rope activates the dart trap, launching darts out from the holes. Clicking on the blue gem in the wall makes it glow; repeated clicking launches a beam of light which ricochets off the purple gem to hit the red gem.

The large pot in the lower right corner can be shattered with repeated clicking. Clicking the small pot will occasionally produce a stream of blue energy which streams off the board. The gold coins near the pots can be clicked, flipping a coin up to varying heights and into the chasm.

"If these tastefully wood-paneled walls could talk, they’d tell tales of amazing discoveries, painstaking research, and the boundless bravery and enthusiasm of the League of Explorers. They’d probably also mention that one weird thing Reno does when he doesn’t think anyone else is around."[23]

You can click on the skull of the skeleton producing a hollow tapping sound. Repeated clicking causes the skelesaurus to shake its head and snort, and its eyes to temporarily turn red; it then settles back to its previous state. Clicking and holding down the button on skelesaurus' head causes its tail to waggle gleefully and its eyes to glow blue. Repeated clicking on its arm snaps off the hand; its eyes then glow permanently red.

The ropes next to the mounted skelesaurus can be swayed.

You can spin the globe by clicking on it. You can spin the globe by its pole by clicking on the smaller strut.

The telescope can be extended by holding the knob; releasing the knob retracts it. In addition, the head can be buffeted, and the lens shattered with repeated clicking.

The brazier in the bottom right corner emits blue sparks and tendrils of energy when clicked. The sign next to the sarcophagus can be knocked down. The red rope can be swayed.

The sarcophagus can be opened with a unique set of presses (middle rune, top rune, bottom rune). Any other set of presses causes a light to blink red and the code to be reset.

Opening the sarcophagus reveals random objects: a mummy, snakes, gold coins, and dusty cobwebs are some of the possibilities.

The pot of scrolls in the upper right-hand corner can be jostled. The pile of books sitting on the mantel can be clicked, sending up a cloud of dust. The inkpot can be splattered and the the fireplace can be stoked. Clicking on the candle momentarily extinguishes it. The magnifying glass can be broken with repeated clicking, producing a shower of glass.

The floor tile next to the desk can be pressed revealing a secret compartment (holding a red ruby) behind the portrait of Sir Finley.

The Whispers of the Old Gods battlefield (listed in the game files as "Stormwind Old Gods") was released April 24, 2016, shortly before the Whispers of the Old Gods expansion.

The battlefield is a corrupted version of the Stormwind battlefield, with oozes, tentacles and eyes galore. It is notably the first battlefield to feature alterations to the 'tabletop' background, with purple slime oozing out from the game board and several tears visible in the fabric.

"For countless millennia, the Old Gods have slept. Now, the time of their awakening draws near; their evil influence has crawled even into the tavern! Can you feel your cards trembling in their decks as the corruption spreads? Some of your old friends have already grown icky masses of tentacles and a downright frightening number of eyeballs![24]

Stormwind has fallen to the influence of the ancient ones, so make sure to avoid poking the eyestalks that have grown on the buildings—they don’t seem to like that very much."[25]

Tentacles throughout the battlefield can be poked to make them shudder or whip about in response.

Strange green creatures apparently representing the battlefield's corrupted plant-life can be found around the battlefield, and will snap and bite at the cursor if clicked.

The long-stalked eye in the top-left can be poked at, causing it to blink and swing away. If clicked repeatedly, it will close and extend upward, before going back down and repeating. It recoils when the clicking stops.

You can click on the "windows" on the house in the top left corner to make them blink. The middle window will shed a tear if clicked repeatedly. The eyes move to focus on the offending cursor in response to clicks.

The bubbles in the goo coming out of the top left building can be popped, and will slowly reappear.

With repeated clicking the lower tentacle in the top right house can be coaxed into temporarily retreating inside. After a while it will tentatively probe the air before extending itself once more.

One of the roof tiles in the top right can be dislodged to reveal a staring eye. The eye can then be poked, causing it to blink; poking it repeatedly will turn it red.

The glowing vapours to the left of the inn can be agitated, causing them to flare.

The corrupted gryphon can be antagonised in much the same way as the gryphon from the original game board, and with much the same response.

The pile next to the gryphon can be broken with aggressive clicking, revealing a purple flame. The flame can then be clicked to excite its luminous vapors.

The glowing vapor rising from the clock in the bottom left can be agitated, with enough clicking causing it to die down or resurge.

The corruption of the clock seems to have robbed it of its time-telling function, but the hands can still be clicked at to produce a vague ticking noise.

The Karazhan battlefield was added on August 10, 2016, with Patch 6.0.0.13921, accompanying the One Night in Karazhan adventure. The battlefield is used for all matches within the adventure, and is also available for selection in regular play. Unlike previous adventure battlefields the Karazhan board was not withheld from regular play, but was immediately added to the main rotation following the patch, even ahead of the release of the adventure itself. The battlefield features its own music. Prototype images can be seen here.

"No visit to Karazhan would be complete without a revitalizing soak in the hot mana pool. After energizing your body and mind, take a stroll through your host’s moonlit library and peruse his magical tomes. Then try your hand at mixology in the well-stocked alchemist’s laboratory, or perhaps take in a show at the private opera house. As Medivh’s cherished guest, the tower is yours to explore."[26]

The box on the top-left stage can be opened and closed, revealing various possible contents, complete with coloured sparkles. The stage lights can be turned on and off individually. The burner can be clicked at, producing a shower of sparkles. Clicking it when it is lit will extinguish it; repeated clicking will re-kindle it with a burst of sparkles.

The curtain on the stage can be raised, showing different scenes; clicking again will lower the curtains. The next scene can be spotted by the portion of the background visible beneath the curtains. One of the scenes is a disco setting complete with mirrorball; discovering this scene will cause dance music to play and the stagelights to change colour and flash repeatedly.

The lights on the top-right can be clicked repeatedly, eventually breaking them. Clicking them once broken produces electrical sparks.

The lid of the barrel in the top-right can be repeatedly clicked until it flips over, revealing the barrel's glittery contents, shooting sparkles and producing a party favor noise.

The spell book can be flipped through, revealing various runes. If the rune on one of the pages matches the rune on the sheet on the ground, the sheet can be clicked and the book will emit a magical effect, transforming the rune on the sheet. The runes in the spell book sometimes also change, although this is currently bugged.

The tap on the mana tub in the bottom-right corner can turned on and off, causing the water to steam. Clicking on the water will cause it to splash, and splashing it repeatedly will cause a portal to open in the water, revealing various depictions of the Dark Portal.

The drinks umbrella can be spun and the feathers buffeted. The rubber duck can be squeezed, causing it to squeak.

The siphon on the large flask in the bottom-left can be opened. Opening the siphon will cause the liquid to flow to the next vial and turn it from purple to blue, and the smaller flask next to it to fill with blue; turning the siphon off again will cause the other vial to return to purple and the flask to become empty. The dial to the left of the large flask will ignite a burner beneath it, causing the liquid to bubble. If the burner is turned on and the siphon is opened for a few seconds, closing it again will cause a plume of purple and blue smoke to rise from the smaller flask.

The broom in the bottom-left can be clicked, causing it to become animate and sweep the floor a little, moving the purple gem. Clicking it repeatedly will cause it to soar into the air, flying around the board before shooting off.

The doors in the bottom-left can be closed and opened. Opening the doors has a small chance of causing a grey or white mouse to escape the cabinet, and the doors to close behind it.

The floating candles in the bottom-left and bottom-right corners can be batted at, causing them to bob up and down.

Added with Mean Streets of Gadgetzan in December 2016, this battlefield depicts the lawless streets and even more lawless backalleys of Gadgetzan. There is a corner dedicated to each of the city's three ruling crime families: Corrupted mana crystals spill out of the Kabal corner in the top-left; the industrial stronghold of the Grimy Goons stands firm in the top-right; and the secretive den of the Jade Lotus beckons from the bottom-right. The bottom-left corner represents the city's docks, critical to its recent boom from sleepy desert town to bustling metropolis.

"The bustling port town of Gadgetzan has ushered in a new era of trade, but the city’s success has led to its unfortunate occupation by some rather unruly denizens, each with their own agendas. Crime families run the streets, each led by a powerful figurehead pulling the strings from the shadows.[27]

If you pull up a chair outside Fizzgrimble’s Tavern and watch afternoon traffic flowing up and down Grimestreet, you may notice a few things about how our city has changed. Wagons carrying goods from faraway places, guarded by shifty-looking fellows in bowler hats; vendors loudly hawking their mystical wares from stalls that choke the streets, ready to sell you any potion or spell you want, for a price; and, all but invisible to the untrained observer, shadowy figures blending into the crowds, keeping an eye on everything. Who are these people? What are they doing in our city?"[28]

The Kabal building (top left) is tethered to the ground only by its chains, and can thus be caused to bob about in the air by clicking on the top right tower. Tapping upon the chain holding the top right tower will cause it to float off. The covering over the top left window can be lowered, causing a bolt of pink lightning to emerge and streak randomly off into the night. The poster to the left of the door can be pulled at, eventually causing it to burn-up from the energies hidden beneath it. The door's knocker can be pulled at, eventually causing the door to jolt open with a crackle of bright pink energy and a puff of smoke.

The door of the Grimy Goons building (top right) can be rapped on, causing the eye slot to open, and suspicious eyes to quickly scan the streets. The metal canopy above the window can be tapped on, causing a gun to appear, firing several bursts into the street; every so often it will appear and instead fire only a cloth 'bang' flag. The can can be jostled, causing it to jump around and a coin to appear from inside. The fires and chimney can be stoked.

The various ranged weapons embedded in the Jade Lotus building (bottom right) can be flicked at. Wobbling the knife (Genji's Dragonblade from Overwatch) to the left of the door enough times will cause a magical green dragon to briefly appear. The lantern hanging above the door can be batted about. The bushes to the left of the Jade Lotus building can be rustled to send a fruit flying into the air: clicking it again while in the air will cause it to be sliced open. The top left roof tile can be rocked and caused to fall to the ground.

The crane in the docks (bottom left) can be brought into operation, and used to fish up items from the deeps. The first click will cause the crane to swivel round; the second and third will cause the hook to descend and then ascend, bearing a random item. The fourth click will attempt (but inevitably fail) to bring the item over to the main platform, if it hasn't already fallen off the hook. Items include a "Pachimari" doll, a spiked tyre, and a lit bomb, which will luckily fall from the crane before it can explode.

The house in the bottom right corner of the Gadgetzan battlefield may be a reference to the Overwatch characters Genji and Hanzo, with a green-edged katana, shurikens, and arrows, the weapons of those two heroes. The sword, when rapidly clicked/tapped on, has a green dragon that spins around in, in a confirmed reference to Genji's Ultimate ability, Dragonblade.[29] The distinctive "Pachimari" doll fished up from the docks is original to Overwatch.

This makes this battlefield the first to contain characters from or clear references to another Blizzard game other than World of Warcraft.

Added with Journey to Un'Goro in April 2017, this battlefield depicts the teeming jungles of Un'Goro Crater and includes a large volcano, tropical trees, dinosaur eggs, pitcher plants, a tar pit, a tribal hut and various instruments.

Un'Goro Crater is a wild, jungle-filled crater teeming with life, strange energies, and dinosaurs. It sits between Tanaris (the location of Gadgetzan) to the east, and Silithus to the west; in both directions paths can be found winding up along the crater's mountainous edge to reach the higher altitudes of the neighbouring zones. In the centre of the zone is a huge volcano known as Fire Plume Ridge, and rivers and pools criss cross the crater's floor in many places, with the Golakka Hot Springs in the zone's west.

In World of Warcraft, it is a leveling zone memorable for questlines involving research on the strange crystals and pylons scattered around the area; various references to popular culture such as video games, music and TV shows (notable examples include Linken, Spraggle Frock, Ringo, J.D. Collie, Larion and Muigin); the creatures living in the Lakkari Tar Pits to the north; sinister silithid mounds invading in the south; and the gigantic devilsaurs, who continually roam the zone, surprising absent-minded players with a swift and merciless death.

In the left bottom corner, there are two pitcher plants filled with digestive fluids, next to them, there are tar pits with two bones, which will erupt bubbles. The bones sink into the tar when pressed. When both bones sink, then a random item floats up (a skull with red eyes (the head of the Golden Monkey) , a banana, a ruby, a boot).

Also in that corner, repeatedly clicking on the tall red plants will cause them to launch like rockets.

In the left top corner, there is a volcano, and next to it there is a totem that looks like a slingshot.

The volcano will erupt if the right notes are played in the bottom right corner (see below).

The totem will emit flames if clicked enough times.

In the right top corner, there is a huge tree with two Devilsaur eggs, and some fluorescent tentacles.

The larger egg can be cracked by clicking repeatedly. Clicking the egg once cracked will produce the eye of a baby Devilsaur peeking out of the crack.

Clicking the leaves of the tree will cause fruit and glow worms to fall.

Click the vines around the tree will agitate them.

In the right bottom corner, there is a drum, an empty shell, and three leaves which make different sounds when clicked.

The top left corner features a frost wyrm — a skeletal, undead dragon — partially frozen in the ice. The bottom left and top right corners include what appear to be an iron brazier with large coals and an imposing rampart, respectively, while the bottom right corner features a large chunk of ice accompanied by a hammer and chisel.

Icecrown Citadel is the greatest fortress of the Scourge and the last bastion of the dread Lich King. Located in the frozen wastes of Icecrown on the continent of Northrend, the Citadel is built around the Frozen Throne that once held the spirit of Ner'zhul until he joined with Arthas Menethil to become the new Lich King. Constructed from saronite, the Citadel is inhabited by some of the strongest and vilest of the Lich King's minions - a great army of the living dead standing between their dark master and those who seek to destroy him.

The ice block can be interacted with to allow the player to create their own ice sculpture. You can hold down the left mouse button on the sculpture to reset it.[30]

There are 4 sculptures : The Lich King's head/helmet, The Hearthstone logo, a Murloc frozen in ice, and a cup of liquid

Repeatedly clicking on dragons skull makes the skeleton glow and releases cold air from the cave.

Clicking the other portions of the dragon bones simply cause them to shake.

Clicking onto the cracked piece of ice next to the dragons skull results into piece falling off.

In bottom left corner, when repeatedly clicking onto the fire, it burns with red/blue/green fire. Activating fire also activates runes in the circle to its right. Clicking the rune results into light circle coming out of the rune. The runes represent the three focuses of death knights in World of Warcraft: blood (red), frost (blue), and unholy (green).

Clicking various icicles around the battlefield makes them glow.

Holding down the chain on the top right corner will pull it and cause the door to open, releasing cold air from inside.

Repeatedly clicking on the spike to the right of the door will cause it to break off.

This battlefield was designed after the Hearthstone developer team heard Dave Kosak's description of how the Lich King should be characterized in Knights of the Frozen Throne, and is based around the idea of the Lich King commissioning his minions to create a game board for him. The frost wyrm is a reference to the World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich Kingopening cinematic, in which Arthas raises the long-dead dragon Sindragosa into undeath from her resting place beneath the ice. The ice sculpture was added to offset the dark fantasy of the expansion with a comical Hearthstone twist.[30]

Added on December 7 2017 with the Kobolds and Catacombs expansion, this battlefield depicts the catacombs of the kobolds which wend their way through caves and vaults full of treasure.

The top left corner features a beast idol guarding treasure. The bottom left depicts a closed-off mine while the bottom right has a legendary weapon amidst other treasure. The top right corner contains more treasure including a treasure chest.

Mushrooms all across the board can be clicked repeatedly to trigger effects like glow, ballooning, and the release of gases.

One or two of the gold coins can be clicked and tossed in each corner.

Candle flames are also clickable.

There are also a number of clickable gems which might be spellstones.

In the bottom right, the shiny hammer can be clicked and shaken. Repeated clicking will trigger a flare from its gemstone.

Clicking and holding the candle in the bottom left triggers a Kobold trap, an explosion which burns the entire area.

Clicking around in the ashes will unearth a key which when clicked, changes the chest in the top right into a mimic.

Repeatedly clicking the red gem in the eye of the idol on the top left causes the pick-axe to come down.

The top right area is full of treasure in the middle of which stands a treasure chest. Clicking the treasure chest repeatedly will open it to reveal more treasure, or a boot, or nothing at all. Using the key from the bottom left area will give life to this treasure chest and change it into a mimic.

Added on April 12, 2018 with The Witchwood expansion, this battlefield depicts the forests surrounding Gilneas.

The top left corner features an anthropomorphic tree, similar to the festerroots or treants. The upper right shows a typical Gilnean house, the bottom right a wagon, possibly of some kind of merchant or witch. On the lower left, a cauldron can be seen.

The top left corner features a tank of translucent liquid. The upper right is a levitating mech. The bottom left something like a furnace. On the lower left, a strange machine surrounded by colored crystals. Overall, playing with this map seems to have a smaller variety of simpler effects than many previous maps.

Pulling out the lever (by clicking) on the front of the tank causes one of the normal battlefield items (a boot, green fruit, and so on) to be teleported inside it, to float in the liquid.

The curled vine to the top left momentarily coils tighter when clicked.

The light bulb on the upper left of the water tank breaks, if you click on it too often. So be careful.

The green tentacle, coiled around a test tube on the right of the tank twitches when clicked, causing the tube to flash.

The small metal flask on the lower right of the tank wiggles a bit when clicked.

The metal plate on the upper right of the tank is loose, when clicked.

Top Right

Clicking:

The mech on its body causes it to jerk a bit, like many other floating things in Hearthstone battlefields.

Either of the two mudflap-looking things on the lower front of the mech causes them to jiggle, and spark electricity.

The button on the mech's left shoulder (your right, facing it) opens the mech's blast shield faceplate, exposing a driver's seat and two buttons, one purple (on the driver's right) and red (driver's left).

The red button causes the crystal in the mech's right limb to flash. Occasionally, this glow will be brighter and louder. The third time the red button is pressed each game (once per game), the crystal will fire a laser that ricochets off the bottom of the window and breaks the center test tube in the top left area.

The button on the mech's right shoulder closes the blast shield again, if it was open.

Bottom Left

Clicking:

The vent that is attached to the machine by a hose toggles it open or closed.

The hose connecting the vent to the machine makes it jiggle and spark.

The bobblehead-like ball on top of the machine makes it spark and jiggle.

The vented plate on the front of the machine makes it jiggle slightly open and closed, sparking.

The floating rocks makes them bob a bit, much like other small, levitating battlefield items.

Bottom Right

Clicking:

The lever on the front of the pot-machine has varying results, sometimes opening the jaws on the top to emit a sort of spiral of energy, or to emit a sort of sphere of energy, or just making them clack a bit.

The colored crystals makes them emit a ping and glow, like other crystals on other battlefields.

The larger flat rock makes it jiggle a tiny bit, like many other objects on other battlefields.

Added on November 29th, 2018, with the Rastakhan's Rumble expansion, this battlefield depicts the interior of the arena in Stranglethorn Vale.

The top left corner features the other side of the gate seen on the Stranglethorn battlefield, adorned with snake statues. On the upper right is an altar with spikes and skulls around it. In the bottom left corner is a large drum, and on the right there is a statue adorned with tikis.

Three of the squares represent Dalaran itself, with a shifting magic shop in the top left corner, a mage's tower to the right, and a magic carpet underneath that. The final corner has the League of E.V.I.L.'s wagon on it, inconspicuously disguised.

The following battlefields are available during special events such as the Winter Veil seasonal event held between December and January each year. During this time they replace the standard versions of these battlefields.

Patch 5.0.0.12574 (2016-04-24): The Whispers of the Old Gods battlefield has been added to the rotation.

Patch 4.0.0.10833 (2015-11-10): Two new battlefields have been added to accompany The League of Explorers.

Patch 3.1.0.10357 (2015-09-29): The screw in the Goblins vs Gnomes battlefield can now be screwed into the nearby screw hole.[33][34]

Patch 3.0.0.9786 (2015-08-18): The Grand Tournament battlefield has been added, but is currently only available in the Grand Tournament Match Tavern Brawl. [Battlefield made available in regular play August 24.]

Patch 2.7.0.9166 (2015-06-15): The Blackrock Mountain battlefield has been added to the main rotation.[35]

Undocumented: In the garden in the bottom right corner of the Pandaria battlefield, players now have a very rare chance to grow a golden version of one of the vegetables.

Patch 2.0.0.7234 (2014-12-04): An all-new interactive Goblins vs Gnomes-themed game board has been added. Turn the gears, wind the springs, and try not to blow anything up in the process. We warned you.

Hotfix (2014-10-01): The Naxxramas game board has been added to the game board rotation in Play and Arena mode.

Patch 1.0.0.4944 (2014-03-11): Some changes have been made to battlefield visuals and interactive features.

Tools

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